Did the Lakers ruin Westbrook? Beverley was furious! The triple-double king is finally finalized!

"What happened to Russell is so fucking outrageous, brother!"

In a recent podcast episode, Beverly said this angrily. And what he was talking about was Russell Westbrook, the former MVP who was snubbed by the league. The sentence "It was the Lakers who ruined Westbrook!" instantly caused huge waves on social media.

In the show, Beverley completely lost his usual rhetorical attitude:

"What happened to Russell is so fucking terrible, brother! I swear, no one in the world is more misunderstood than him. Just because of the Lakers, he was labeled a 'cancer' and a 'nothing' "He can shoot" and "can't play a supporting role", but is that really Russell's problem? "

Recalling that when Westbrook first arrived with the Lakers, outside fans were expecting him to form a Big Three with James and Big Eyebrow to win the championship. But I didn't expect that this group would be scolded very soon. Among them, Westbrook, whose performance is sluggish, has become the target of public criticism. Labels such as "Iron King", "Data Scrubber", and "Lagging behind on both offense and defense" are updated on social platforms almost every day.

Beverley also said a particularly harsh truth:

"Since leaving the Lakers, he has been receiving a minimum salary contract."

But from a reality point of view, this is not that he can't play. Playing for the Nuggets last season, Westbrook still averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game. This data is still high-quality and effective when placed as a backup point guard. But the problem is, no one seems willing to give him another chance. The league seems to have acquiesced to the fact:

"The era of Westbrook is over."

But is he really old? Or has the alliance become more ruthless?

I think back when Westbrook joined the Lakers and Los Angeles was filled with stars. The kid who grew up in California finally returned to the place where his dream began. Westbrook also boldly responded to the fans: "I believe this is fate."

I just didn't expect that fate is sometimes much crueler than the script. At that time, the Lakers had many stars in the team and many shortcomings. James wanted to control the ball, thick eyebrows wanted tactical status, and Westbrook wanted the opportunity to hold the ball. These three forces were destined to conflict. James is the core of the team and Davis's championship support. As Westbrook is the worst performer, the media naturally focuses on him. When something goes wrong, the blame will naturally be thrown on him.

After a loss, James calmly said, "We have to adjust." Westbrook became the target of public criticism, and fans began to criticize him, saying, "He plays too much," "the rhythm is too fast," and "doesn't fit the system." He was then asked to step into the sixth man role, which he still did; even though he was booed wildly by the home fans, he could only respond with a smile and applause.

For a Hall of Fame star, not everyone can tolerate such forbearance. As Beverley said on the podcast:

"He accepted a more humble role, but the world never gave him a trace of respect."

Speaking of this, Beverley also said an even more explosive statement:

"Russell is one of the top three point guards in NBA history."

As soon as this statement came out, the comment area immediately exploded, with some supporting and some questioning. But whether you agree or not, the underlying logic of what Beverley said is actually very simple. In his understanding, Westbrook's greatness has been covered up a lot by the ridicule of the times. In the era of data explosion, it is easier for us to laugh at a person's "low shooting rate" and "not suitable for the system", but ignore his most primitive desire, the momentum to compete for every ball and fight every second.

Just like Beverley said:

"Ask anyone in the league, Russell is the best teammate I have ever worked with."

This sentence may seem like flattery, but in fact it has an obvious counterattack intention, because only those who have actually played with Westbrook can understand his energy. He would accompany his teammates in training, help out newcomers, and take the initiative to apologize after losing. These contents could never be reflected in the data sheet.

But fortunately, Westbrook's story is not completely over:

According to reporter Shams, Westbrook has agreed to sign with Sacramento and will continue to compete in the new season wearing a Kings jersey.

For this team that once showed promise but quickly fell away, they seem to be in need of a veteran who can drive the rhythm, and this is what Westbrook is best at.

Although he has been criticized by fans, Westbrook still has not given up. He is still the first one to practice in the training hall. He will rush to the front line of the fast break, roar and celebrate with his teammates after scoring goals, and work hard until the last minute. As Beverley said:

"Russell is always available."

This may also be the best definition of Westbrook. He is certainly not perfect, but he is always burning. Maybe one day in the future, when we look back at this period of history, you will find that the person who was scolded as a "cancer" has always been the purest fighter in the NBA.

Perhaps, this is the romance that belongs to Westbrook.

Even if you are misunderstood by the times, you must go all out to live in the center of the court.